Keeping Secrets
by Alice Morph
Summary: Abby is in an abusive relationship and tries to hide it from the team, but they are worried and only want to help. McAbby- but mostly focuses on team as a family. First fic ever, please read!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic ever, I hope you guys like it. I had fun writing it! Please leave me comments- let me know if I'm any good at this, and also what I should do differently next time.

Thanks so much, this site is great.

Also- I just wanted to say that my goal in this story was to really try to show how the different characters relate to each other and care about each other- and how they show that care. The actual plot/case isn't very detailed, it just lays the backdrop to show the interactions.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters nor I am I using them to generate profit.

* * *

Abby had spent the evening with Mcgee, watching movies and playing computer games. She normally tried to spend her minimal free time with Matthew, but he said he was going out for the night with some of his friends, so she figured some quality Mcgee time was long overdue.

Sitting next to Mcgee on the couch in his apartment, ending credits of the Transformers movie rolling, Abby realized how much she missed spending time with him, how much they had in common. She looked over at him, staring with a devilish smile.

Uncomfortable with the probing stare, Mcgee looked over to her, "What Abby?" He asked.

"I just remembered how much I love you Mcgee," She said, in a triumphant sort of way.

Knowing that Abby only meant "love" in a friendly way, Mcgee smiled back and said jokingly, "I love you too Abby, but not enough to risk getting my ass kicked by that boyfriend of yours." Mcgee knew Matthew was a big guy and could probably eat him for lunch. "It's almost 11:30, you better get home before he gets suspicious!"

"Of course, we wouldn't want him getting suspicious Timmy, because if he kicked your ass I just might have to kill him… and that wouldn't be good for the relationship," Abby said jokingly with a smile. Outwardly she appeared sure of herself, but inside she was trying to ignore the nagging feeling of irony in what had just been said. Matthew seemed like a great guy when Abby had first met him. Always calling when he said he would, bringing her flowers, even coming to her apartment to feed her cat when she had to work late. However, this façade didn't last long. About a month into the relationship, the real Matthew started to shine through. He had a temper, he drank often, and that temper was worse when he drank. Abby couldn't seem to do anything right by him. She always came home too late from work, spent too much time with other people, or didn't pay enough attention to him.

The first time he hit her she was surprised. But he was apologetic afterwards and promised it would never happen again. But it did. Many times. The abuse wasn't bad, Abby thought. Only a bruise here and there, never anything that sent her to the hospital. She could always cover up the evidence and no one at work ever found out. She didn't want them to know. She felt guilty, like maybe this was all her fault. She figured she really was at work too much. Even though she loved work, she tried to make more time for him. Matthew seemed satisfied with the extra attention and effort, but would still find things to set him off. Abby knew this was going in the wrong direction. She had seen enough cases like this at work to know they didn't always end well. She needed to stop seeing him before he really hurt her.

"Abby, are you okay?" Mcgee asked, concerned by seeing her mood suddenly shift from playful to pensive.

Abby was lost in thought and didn't realize she had let her worry show on her face. "Oh. Oh yeah, I'm fine Mcgee," She said, shaking her head as if to get the bad thoughts out.

"You- you don't really look fine Abby," Mcgee said, unsure if he should probe further. He could tell something was wrong, but knew Abby didn't always like to admit what was bothering her.

Staring down at the ground, Abby tried to decide if she should share her thoughts with Mcgee. She really needed someone to talk to about this, but if she told Mcgee that Matthew was hitting her, she was sure he would be mad and the rest of the team would find out. She wanted to keep this situation as quiet as possible. She was going to take care of it herself.

"Did I do something…" Mcgee asked, unsure of himself as always.

"No! No, of course not Tim… it's just…"

Mcgee stared at her, mouth slightly open. His concern and puzzlement showed on his face. Abby knew she had to tell him something or he would probably enlist the help of Ziva and Tony to find out. And they _would_ find out. They were trained investigators of course.

"It's just, you brought up Matthew, and… And I think I'm going to break up with him," Abby said, still looking at the floor. She felt bad not telling Mcgee the whole truth, but she wasn't lying either. She _was_ going to break up with him.

"Really?" Mcgee asked, trying to sound more surprised and less happy than he really was. He hadn't liked Matthew from the start. The few times they had met, Matthew always seemed overly possessive of Abby.

"Yeah," Abby said, finally looking up at Mcgee. "I just don't think we're right for each other. I mean, I thought we were at first, but now, well, I don't know…"

Mcgee stared at her, racking his brain for something reassuring to say.

"I think I'm going to do it tonight. I mean, if he's over at my apartment. I just need to do it, and get it over with." Abby never liked breaking up with people. She didn't like being the bad guy.

Still feeling a bit lost for words, Mcgee put his hand on Abby's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "You'll be fine," He said.

"Thanks Mcgee," Abby replied, giving him a half-smile and standing up to leave.

Walking her to the door Mcgee said quietly, "Call me if you need anything."

Abby put on her coat and gave Mcgee a big hug. "Thanks Tim. I'll be fine," She said, faking a bit more confidence. "See you at work tomorrow?"

"Of course. See ya Abby," Mcgee replied and closed the door to his apartment while Abby walked down the hall.

Entering his bathroom to brush his teeth before going to bed, Mcgee listened to Abby start her car and drive away. He couldn't help but feel that Abby wasn't telling him something… like there was something more that was bothering her. Unable to answer that question himself, he pushed the thought out of his head. He would check up on Abby tomorrow at work- to make sure the break up went smoothly and to see if anything else was bothering her.


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling into her apartment complex, Abby prayed that Matthew's car would not be there. Hopefully he had partied hard with the guys and chosen to crash as his own place. Then she wouldn't have to worry about having the "this-isn't-working-out" talk. At least not tonight.

As she rounded the side of the building, she sighed as she spotted Matthew's car parked in the empty spot next to hers. Abby pulled in along side, put her car in park, and turned the key to the off position in the ignition. She sat there for a minute, wondering if Matthew would be mad that he had gotten home before her. Maybe she should have come home earlier. Maybe she shouldn't have gone over to Mcgee's. Maybe she should have tried to spend more time with Matthew. Maybe she was a bad girlfriend.

"No," Abby said aloud to herself. She needed to stop thinking like that. This wasn't her fault! Matthew was the one who was out of control. She needed to go upstairs, stand her ground, and end this. Hopefully Matthew was in a good mood…

As Abby entered her apartment and shut the door behind her, she saw Matthew look up at her from the couch. He was sitting with his back at one end, legs stretched out across the cushions. He was not the kind of guy she usually fell for, but he was attractive nonetheless. Strong broad shoulders, well-muscled legs, a little scruff on the face, and standing about six-foot-three. She loved how safe she felt when he had first held her, like he could protect her from anything. Funny how he was the one she would end up needing protection from.

"Where have you been?" Matthew's gruff voice and serious look drew her attention. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, even from where she stood by the door.

"Well, you said you were going out with the guys, so I went over to Mcgee's house to watch some movies," Abby said confidently. There was nothing wrong with what she'd done tonight. She had to keep telling herself that because she knew Matthew would try to make her think differently. "If I knew you were going to be home this early I would have come back sooner to spend some time with you," Abby added cheerfully, trying to reassure him.

Matthew stood up from the couch and walked toward her. "You were with Mcgee?" He asked with anger and suspicion in his voice.

"Yeah," Abby answered, still trying to appear confident, but starting to feel a little nervous with a drunk and angry Matthew walking toward her. This usually didn't end well.

"You whore!" Matthew yelled, still walking towards Abby, backing her into a corner. "I knew you were messing around with him from the minute I met him! The way he looked at you! Like he loved you! I knew it!" Matthew grabbed Abby's wrists, pinning her to the wall, still yelling.

Abby knew she had to stop this before it turned ugly. If she stayed confident, looked him in the eye, and tried to reason, maybe he would back down.

"Matthew!" Abby yelled, trying to snap him out of his rage. "Matthew, stop!" She yelled louder.

Startled by her confidence, Matthew stopped yelling, still holding her against the wall.

"Matthew," Abby said calmly. She had gotten his attention. Now was the time to end this. She swallowed hard and looked up at him. Even though her body was shaking slightly, she tried to keep her tone even. "This is not okay. It's gone on for too long. I'm done. It's over. You need to get your things, and leave my apartment. Now."

Abby could see the anger rising through him. "I knew it!" He yelled. "I knew it! You've been sleeping with Mcgee and now you want me gone! You whore. You disgust me!

"This isn't about Mcgee!" Abby yelled back. "It's about you! It's about you getting angry every time I come home late! It's about you getting drunk and treating me like this!"

Matthew stated at her, somewhat in disbelief that she was yelling back at him.

"Matthew there is something wrong here and you need help. But you can't do this to me anymore! We are over Matthew. Leave." Abby said, more confident than before, standing a little taller.

A few seconds of silence passed before Matthew exploded. "Who do you think you are talking to me like that?!" He yelled, grabbing Abby by the arms again and slamming her body against the wall. Before she could compose herself, Matthew's right fist connected with her left eye. She saw only black for a moment, but she could still hear him screaming at her. She could still feel him holding her roughly, shaking her body. Maybe this was the wrong time to brake up with him. Maybe she should have waited until he was sober, and not angry at her for being out too late.

Regaining her vision, Abby looked up into Matthew's eyes. She saw only rage. Figuring they were beyond the "reasoning" stage of the argument, Abby waited for Matthew to finish yelling and take his hands off her.

"I can't believe the nerve you have!" Matthew yelled, obviously not satisfied yet. "You can't break up with me! You don't call the shots!" He then picked Abby up easily and threw her down onto the hard wood floor.

Abby's body collided with the floor first, knocking the wind out of her. Then her head slammed down, causing her vision to blur again. This wasn't right. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He had never been this rough with her before. He was mad, understandably. She _had_ just broken up with him. Abby then realized this wasn't about to end.

Matthew shoved his booted foot into Abby's stomach, causing her to curl up in pain. Kicks and punches still coming from all sides, Abby attempted to get up only to be quickly pinned down again, Matthew's elbow digging into her rib cage. She could hardly breathe.

"You don't really think you stand a chance here Abby, do you?" Matthew said, a little too much pleasure in his tone.

Abby gasped for breath, trying to say something, anything to get him to stop. "Please..." Abby pleaded.

Matthew loosened his hold on her, possibly showing a bit of sympathy. Abby relaxed, arms and legs spread across the floor, laying on her back and breathing hard. She closed her eyes. Maybe he was done.

Matthew took his hands off of her and stood up. Suddenly, "How's. This. Feel?!" Matthew yelled, kicking her forcefully with each word. Abby groaned as she felt a few ribs crack.

Curled into a ball on the floor, shaking uncontrollably, and now crying as well, Abby watched Matthew storm over to closet and grab his coat.

"This isn't over," He said, calmer now, and slammed the door behind him.

Abby relaxed a little, realizing he had left her apartment. She was in a lot of pain. Her head hurt, her chest hurt, her arms hurt, her back hurt, it even hurt to breath. She thought seriously for a moment about calling Mcgee and asking him to come over, but then she realized that probably meant the rest of the team finding out what happened too. Abby didn't want that. She would be okay, she decided. A little sore, a little bruised, but Matthew was out of the picture and she would get over it.

Wincing in pain as she stood up, Abby made her way to the bathroom, one hand on the wall at all times to keep her steady. Looking in the mirror, Abby didn't look as bad as she'd expected. She could see her left eye beginning to bruise around the corners, but other than that she looked okay. Any other bruises on her body she could probably hide easily.

Feeling a little more at ease, Abby slowly changed into pajamas and laid down in bed. She could feel every part of her body throbbing. She was going to be sore tomorrow, that was for sure. Falling asleep, Abby couldn't help but think of all the things she did wrong to deserve this…


	3. Chapter 3

Walking into work the next morning, Abby headed straight for her lab. She knew she would face a bit of a challenge hiding what had happened from everyone. When she had woken up that morning and went into the bathroom, she saw that her eye was turning many nice shades of purple, as were various other parts of her body. Her arms had bruises all up and down them, but were especially discolored at her wrists. Her back and sides were covered as well, but the worst was probably her chest and stomach. It was one big bruise that darkened significantly around her ribs. That area hurt too much to touch and Abby was sure she should probably get some x-rays. She didn't have time for that though. Besides, Abby hated hospitals and they couldn't do much for broken ribs anyway.

Abby was glad when she finally got down to her lab without any encounters with her teammates. Hopefully they would have a busy day, maybe get called to a crime scene if she was lucky. Unlocking her door and entering, Abby quickly got to work filing evidence from the last case and running some samples that were left for her. She wanted to stay busy. Maybe that way she could forget about what had happened the night before.

Upstairs in the bull pen, Mcgee arrived at work and sat down at his desk. He started working on a report from a few days ago that he hadn't had time to finish.

Ziva arrived next, striding out of the elevator and to her desk. "Good morning Mcgee." She said cheerfully, before sitting down.

"Morning…" Mcgee mumbled back, obviously absorbed in something important on his computer screen.

"Common', you can give the woman a better greeting than that!" Tony interjected as he arrived at his desk.

Shooting Tony an annoyed look, Mcgee turned back to Ziva and said, "Good Morning Ziva," sarcastically.

Ziva smiled. "Tony, perhaps you are not the one who should be giving etiquette lessons."

He glared back at her, "I happen to have wonderful etiquette. It's how I get the ladies… Speaking of ladies… McGeek! How was your date with Abby last night?"

"It wasn't a date, Tony," Mcgee said flatly, obviously annoyed and trying to get some work done.

"She is dating that large, attractive fellow, yes?" Ziva asked, "What is his name… Matthew?"

"Yeah," Mcgee mumbled, still typing and looking at his computer. "But she said she was going to break up with him… they just weren't right for eachother." He added, this time looking up.

"Yeah?" Tony asked. "Good. I didn't like him anyhow. Something about him gave me the creeps."

"Yeah, me too," Said Mcgee, remembering his concern for Abby the night before. He wondered if she had broken up with Matthew, and how it went. He should probably check on her.

"I'll be back in a minute," Mcgee told Tony and Ziva, grabbing some folders. "If Gibbs gets here tell him I'm just bringing some files down to Abby."

"No hanky-panky down there McGeek!" Tony teased.

"Hanky-what?" Asked Ziva, her face twisted with confusion.

"Don't worry about it," Mcgee told her, rolling his eyes in Tony's direction and heading for the elevator.

~*~*~*~

When Mcgee walked into Abby's lab her back was to him. She was working, typing away at her computer, obviously concentrating. She knew he was there though. She recognized his shuffle-y footsteps.

"Got some files for you Abby," Mcgee said, her back still to him.

"Just leave them on the table Mcgee, I'm busy," Abby said, annoyed.

She heard him walking closer. "That table Mcgee, the one by the door." She said angrily, not wanting him to get any closer.

"Bu- but, you'll need them to finish up your work Abby. I might as well bring them over to you," He said, still walking closer.

"Mcgee!" Abby yelled this time, her back still to him. "Just put them down and leave!"

Startled, Mcgee put the folders down, said, "Sorry" rather quietly, and hurried out of the lab.

Waiting for the elevator to go back upstairs, Mcgee had a bad feeling that something was wrong. Mustering up all his courage, he walked back into the lab and over to Abby before she could protest.

"Mcgee," She half-yelled, half-wined, "I told you…" She was silenced by the look of concern on his face as she turned to him and he saw the bruise around her eye.

"Abby," Mcgee said quietly, reaching his hand to her face. "What happened…?" She obviously hadn't had that bruise when she left his house last night.

"It's nothing Mcgee," Abby said nervously, "I just… I just tripped on the rug and hit my face on the couch. Stupid, stupid, I know."

"Abby," Mcgee said raising his voice a little higher than before, "You don't have a rug by your couch."

Thinking quickly Abby added, "Oh. Oh, I meant the chair… in my room… you know, the chair that is kind of like a couch, the soft couch-like chair… in my room… you know the one, right?"

Not believing a word she had said, Mcgee started to open his mouth as his phone rang. "DiNozzo" it read. He flipped it open. "What," He said.

"Boss wants you up here pronto Probie. Move that ass."

"Be right there, Tony," Mcgee said, hanging up.

"Abby…" He didn't know what to say, "Abby-"

"I'm FINE Mcgee," She said, cutting him off. "Now you heard the man, get that cute ass of yours upstairs!"

"Okay, but I'll be back down later Abby," Mcgee said, walking to the door. Just before leaving he turned around and asked playfully, "You think my ass is cute, Abby?"

"Cute as a button," She smiled and cocked her head, happy that she had gotten Mcgee off the topic of her black eye. That was a close call. Thank God for DiNozzo calling him.

~*~*~*~

As Mcgee rode the elevator back up the bullpen, his mind swirled with what could have happened to Abby. He had a really bad feeling that Matthew did that to her. What else could have happened last night? He debated in his head whether to bring it up to the team. Abby would probably kill him, but this was about her well-being.

As he walked over to his desk, Gibbs barked, "Mcgee, I need a list of all black GMC Envoys with Maryland plates starting with R and ending with 6.

"Boss, there's probably thousands-" Mcgee started.

"Just do it," Gibbs said, annoyed.

"Right boss, on it." Mcgee sat down at his desk. He really wasn't in any mood to work on a case. Staring at the computer screen he waited until Gibbs left the room.

"Uh, hey guys?" He asked, looking from Tony to Ziva nervously.

"Spit it out McGeek," Tony said.

"Can we, um, uh… campfire?" He asked.

"Surely you do not need helping searching the Department of Motor Vehicles database Mcgee," Ziva said sarcastically.

Sensing the worried look on Mcgee's face, Tony motioned for the team to huddle up. They all moved their chairs into a circle in the middle of the desks.

"What's going on Mcgee," Tony asked seriously.

"It's, um, Abby. Something's wrong, I think…" He said, and paused.

Tony and Ziva looked at him as if to say, "go on."

"Well, she seemed really worried last night before she left my place. And uh, said she was going to break up with Matthew." He paused again. "This morning she was still acting kind of odd. She didn't want me in her lab at first. But when I finally got near her she had a black eye…" He trailed off.

"And you think Matthew did this?" Tony finished for him.

"Ye- yeah," Mcgee stammered. "I just have a bad feeling."

"Could it have not been caused by something else?" Ziva interjected, trying to approach the situation from an unbiased point of view.

"Abby said she tripped on the rug and hit her face on her couch. When I told her she didn't have a rug near her couch she changed the story to the chair in her bedroom." Mcgee said, rolling his eyes at the unlikely story.

The team sat for a minute, all contemplating possibilities, and all slightly worried. None of them could come up with another logical explanation for what might have happened.

"Okay," Said Tony, "I'm going to go talk to her."

Mcgee looked concerned.

"Don't worry Probie, I'll be nice," Tony reassured him.

"Just, just… I don't think we should say anything to Gibbs yet, I mean, before we know for sure." Mcgee added, thinking about how Abby might react.

"Sure, but I'll get it out of her." Tony said as he got up and headed for the elevator. He was a darn good interrogator. He if could get mass murderers to confess, surely he could make Abby talk.

"Let me know if you need anything from me, Tony," Ziva offered, making her way back to her desk.

"Anything…?" Tony asked with a mischievous grin.

"Excluding treason and sexual favors," Ziva added.

"Darn it," Tony said as he left.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony decided to go with the direct approach first. Walking into Abby's lab and giving her no time to react, Tony practically yelled to her from across the room, "So, you were attacked by the menacing couch- no chair- no couch- wait, maybe it was a chair- monster?"

"Yes," Abby said sternly, turning to face him, and mad that Mcgee has been talking about her behind her back.

"So, you gonna tell me what really happened?" Tony asked, seeing her black eye and trying to hide his growing worry.

"That's what happened, DiNozzo. Really, I have work to do. I don't bother you guys when you are loaded down with a case." Abby spoke hurriedly, "I still have to run these blood samples, and bring results to Ducky, and switch out my computer modules, and file all that crap that Mcgee left me, and-"

"Abby!" Tony cut her off, annoyed at the lack of cooperation.

Tony stopped to look at her for a moment, gathering his thoughts, when he noticed a bruise on her wrist, sneaking out from under her sleeve. Stunned, he reached down and pulled her sleeve up to her elbow. "I suppose the couch did this too Abby?!" Tony yelled sarcastically, holding her arm up. "Anything else to add to the collection?" He was very concerned at this point, but his concern came across as anger.

Abby just stared at him. Tony could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears. "I have work to do, DiNozzo," She said through clenched teeth.

"We all have work to do," Tony countered, "But some things are more important. So, once again, are you going to tell me what really happened?"

"It's none of your business DiNozzo!" Abby yelled.

Seeing that he wasn't making any progress, Tony decided to switch to a softer approach. He watched Abby fume for a minute before moving in. Putting his hands on her shoulders he looked into her eyes and said very softly, "Abby. We're like family here. If one of us has a problem we help each other. Mcgee only said something because he was concerned, Abby. None of us want to see you hurt, especially if there's something we can do about it."

Abby still looked angry. Tony continued, "Remember how worried you were about me when I got the plague? And when that steroid-pumped marine broke my nose?"

"Yeah," Abby said quietly.

"It goes both ways Abby. We're worried. I'm worried. I don't like to see you like this." He saw her softening up. He was getting to her. "Common' Abbs. We only want to help." He paused. "What's going on?"

Abby didn't answer. She was looking down at the floor. Tony could see tears forming in her eyes. "Abby, it's okay, you know you can trust me." He paused. "Did Matthew do this to you?"

Abby exploded into tears. He pulled her close to him, one arm around her and the other stoking her hair. "It's okay Abby. Shh. It's okay," He soothed.

Tony could feel her starting to shake. He hugged her a little tighter, suddenly aggravating her sensitive ribs. Abby pulled back, doubling over in pain.

"Abby!" Tony said putting his hand on her back. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Abby said, trying to catch her breath and control her crying, "It's just… oww…"

"Ribs?" Tony asked?

"Yeah." Abby said, trying to stand up straight again. Tony guided her over to her chair.

"Where else did he hurt you, Abby?" Tony asked.

"Just this. I mean, what you've seen." She lied.

Not believing her, Tony reached his hand over to the side of her shirt, silently asking permission to take a look at the damage.

Abby understood and realized she has nothing to lose at this point. She pushed his hand down and lifted her shirt up to right below her breasts, displaying the damage.

Tony almost felt nauseous at what he saw. Her abdomen and rib cage were covered almost entirely in bruises. Some were worse than others, but the area covering her ribs was a sickening dark purple color.

Sensing his disgust, Abby quickly pulled her shirt down. "Happy, DiNozzo?" She asked? Feeling a bit like a freak show.

Tony didn't know quite what to say. Staring at her, wide-eyed and extremely worried, he managed, "Matthew did this all last night? When you told him you didn't want to see him anymore?"

"Yeah," Abby said quietly, realizing she really did not want to talk about this.

"Had he ever hit you before?" Tony asked, starting to investigate.

Abby paused. "Yeah," She said again, quietly.

"How long has this been going on?" He asked.

Sighing Abby answered, "About a month."

"Okay." Tony said, trying to hide his surprise. How come no one had noticed? How come Abby hadn't said anything? It wasn't like her to take abuse from anyone. He had a lot of questions, but figured it might be best to leave it at that for now. Abby looked like she couldn't take anymore.

"Please don't tell Gibbs," Abby said.

Tony thought for a moment. "I can't promise that Abbs."

"I know." She said. "But, maybe, just don't tell him today. I- I don't think I can handle him coming in and being mad at me too."

Tony didn't answer. Instead he said, "You need to get some x-rays."

"Tony…" Abby pleaded, her face asking him to drop it.

"Okay. Okay. I need to get back upstairs, but don't you think this is over. I won't tell Gibbs… yet. But don't think the rest of us won't be checking up on you… and investigating that bastard."

Abby gave Tony a small smile. "Thanks."

Careful to avoid her bruises, Tony kissed her on the forehead and headed back upstairs. He was way more worried than he led on, and wasn't sure how long he could hold off telling Gibbs, even if it meant Abby might never speak to him again.


	5. Chapter 5

Mcgee stared at Tony as he walked back to his desk. He noticed that Tony looked a bit pale, and hoped it was just something he ate.

Tony looked around to make sure Gibbs was no where in sight, and sighed, "Campfire, now."

Mcgee and Ziva silently pulled their chairs around from behind their desks again.

"Tony, you do not look like you have good news." Ziva Stated.

"Guys," He began, "Abby is not in good shape…" He didn't quite know how to spit out what happened.

Mcgee just stared, waiting for Tony to say more.

"She is petty beat up… It's not just her eye." Tony said. "Matthew definitely did it." He paused again. "And it's been going on for a month."

Ziva looked off to the side. Why hadn't she noticed this? She was trained to notice these kinds of things…

Mcgee looked down. He wondered if maybe he should have probed more last night. Maybe she would have talked to him. She looked like she wanted to talk more. Maybe she would have stayed over. Then this wouldn't have happened. Why hadn't he noticed…?

"It's not your fault Probie," Tony said, reading Mcgee's thoughts.

"What's not your fault, Mcgee?" Gibbs asked authoritatively, striding into the bullpen.

"Uhh, umm, well…" Mcgee stammered, looking to Tony for guidance.

Ziva calmly looked back and forth between the other two, trying to determine if they thought it was a good idea to involve Gibbs at this point.

"Someone care to tell me what's going on?" Gibbs asked, clearly annoyed.

Tony finally stood up, deciding he needed to tell Gibbs. This was serious, and Gibbs would kill them if he found out they were keeping it from him.

"Boss, I need to talk to you," Tony finally said.

Sensing this might be a serious conversation, Gibbs walked over to a more private area and Tony followed.

"Well?" Gibbs asked, raising his eyebrow?

Tony took a deep breath. He didn't know how Gibbs would react. "Boss," He started, "Have you been down to see Abby today?"

"No." Gibbs stated, looking a bit impatient.

"Well," Tony continued, "She came in today with a black eye."

Gibbs strained to keep a neutral expression.

"And it turns out she's covered in bruises, probably has some broken ribs." Tony knew he needed to get to the point. "Boss, that boyfriend of hers, Matthew? He beat her up." He looked at Gibbs for a reaction.

Gibbs only stood there staring, sensing Tony was not finished.

"And it's been going on for a month." Tony added, worry showing on his face.

Gibbs showed no emotion, only said, "Thanks, DiNozzo," and stormed off towards the elevator.

Tony cringed, feeling a bit guilty for telling Gibbs, but satisfied knowing it was the right thing to do. He walked back over to his desk, relieved.

~*~*~*~

Not being able to hide his anger anymore, Gibbs stormed into Abby's lab and slammed the door shut behind him.

"A month!" Gibbs yelled. "A whole month and you didn't come to me Abby!"

Abby jumped out of her chair, surprised, and backed away from him a bit, scared of his anger.

"What were you waiting for?!" Gibbs continued yelling, walking towards her. "Were you waiting until he killed you?!"

Abby stopped and took a deep breath, trying to keep from crying. Last night and today had been too much to handle. An angry Gibbs was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

"You're smarter than that, Abby!" He continued yelling. "What the hell were you thinking?!" He stared at her, noticing the fear in her eyes.

Abby couldn't hold it together anymore. She started crying again, half because of what had happened last night and half because Gibbs was now mad at her too. She couldn't look him in the eye.

Gibbs suddenly felt a wave of grief come over him, realizing he had just added to her pain. She needed someone to be understanding right now, not someone to yell at her. Feeling extremely guilty and regretting the way he had walked him, Gibbs put his left hand on Abby's shoulder and cupped her face with his right, gently bringing her head up until her gaze met his.

"I knew it Gibbs," Abby said quietly, still crying, "I knew you would be angry at me. That's why I didn't want to tell you. I can handle Matthew being mad at me. And even Tony. But not you Gibbs. I didn't want to make you angry like this…"

"Abby," Gibbs said softly this time, "I am NOT angry at you."

"If this isn't angry, I'd hate to see you when you are, Gibbs," Abby joked through tears.

"I didn't mean to take it out on you, Abby." Gibbs admitted. "I am angry at Matthew for doing this. Heck, I'm angry at myself for not noticing this was happening! But I could never be angry at you, Abbs."

Abby took a deep breath, processing the situation. "It's my problem." She said, trying to justify her secrecy. "I got myself into this mess and I need to get myself out."

"I don't think that's one of the rules Abby," Gibbs said, still serious.

"Maybe not one of yours, but it's one of mine," Abby said.

"Rule number 38: I'm the boss, we follow my rules," said Gibbs, "And we're gonna deal with this together, as a team."

Abby nodded her head, understanding. She was starting to believe this wasn't such a bad idea. She didn't know if Matthew had anything else planned, and she was scared.

As of now, you don't leave this building alone. I need Matthew's address and phone number. And you need to go visit Ducky. Let him check you out.

"I'm fine Gibbs…" Abby protested.

Gibbs gave her an "this isn't a discussion" stare. Abby understood and said, "Okay."

"Common, I'll walk you there," Gibbs said softly, putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her.

"Just try not to kill Matthew when you find him, okay Gibbs?" Abby joked.

"Can't promise that." Gibbs said seriously, as they walked out of the lab down the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

"Mcgee!" Gibbs yelled upon re-entering the bullpen. "Pull up all the information you can on Matthew."

"Yes boss," Mcgee said, a bit nervous about what he would find digging into Matthew's past, but happy that Abby would now be getting help.

"DiNozzo, David, with me!" Gibbs yelled.

They hurriedly gathered their things and took off after Gibbs, just barely catching the elevator.

"Where we headed, boss?" Tony asked.

"Matthew's house." Gibbs answered, anger still apparent in his voice.

The drive to Matthew's house was tense, and practically silent.

"What are we going to do when we find him?" Ziva asked. "We cannot simply kill him, although I am sure we would all like to."

"We're gonna bring him in and lock him up for the rest of his goddamn life." Gibbs stated matter-of-factly.

Pulling up to Matthew's house, they saw no car in the drive way.

Tony knocked on the door, just in case. "Federal Agents!" He yelled.

No response. He tried the door, it was unlocked. The three agents entered the house, guns drawn.

"Clear!" Ziva yelled, walking down the hallway into the bedroom.

"Clear!" Came Tony, from the kitchen.

"Clear!" Gibbs met up with them in the living room. The house was empty, but what they saw laying on the coffee table worried them. There was a yellow legal pad, the beginnings of a note to Abby written down.

Ziva picked it up and started reading.

_Abby,_

_You said you wanted this over, but we are far from done. You're lucky I didn't kill you when I had the chance. You better watch your back because you messed with the wrong guy. You're finally going to get what you deserve. Just wait until_

The note ended abruptly, clearly not finished. Just wait until what, the team wondered. They needed to find Matthew, and fast.

Gibbs pulled out his phone and dialed Mcgee.

"Mcgee," He answered.

"See if you can track Matthew's cell phone, we need to find out where he is."

"Okay," Mcgee said as he started typing, Gibbs still on the line.

"It must be off boss, I can't get a hit."

"Contact his employer." Gibbs ordered.

"Already did. He called in sick today."

Gibbs thought for a second. "Find anything in his records we should know about?"

"Yeah boss. He seems to have bought a hand gun recently, with no evidence of a gun license. There is also an outstanding warrant for his arrest from a year ago. Attempted robbery and disturbing the peace."

"Put a BOLO out on him." Gibbs said.

"On it," Mcgee said and hung up, working furiously.

Gibbs walked out of Matthew's house, Tony and Ziva following. The only thing they could do was go back to headquarters and wait on a hit.

The morning has passed into afternoon, and afternoon to evening without any leads on Matthew's location. The team was growing restless. Seeing as they were getting no where by sitting around, Gibbs gave out assignments for the night.

"Ziva- I want you waiting at Matthew's place. Mcgee, take Abby home with you to your place. Make sure she gets some rest. I'll be at Abby's apartment in case he shows up there. DiNozzo, you stay here in case we get any hits."

"Sure thing boss." Tony replied. He liked working by himself at night.

Gibbs made his way down to the lab to let Abby know she's be going home with Mcgee. He chose not to tell her about the note they had found at Matthew's apartment. She didn't need to know.

~*~*~*~

Driving home to Mcgee's apartment, Abby shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat. Ducky had found three broken ribs in her x-rays, but nothing more severe than that. Still, she was starting to really feel the effects of her injuries, amplified by a full day at work. She closed her eyes, trying to will the pain away.

Mcgee glanced over at her, noticing her tense position. "You doing okay, Abbs?" He asked.

"Not really." Abby decided to tell the truth.

Mcgee desperately wanted to comfort her, but didn't quite know what to say or do.

"I'm sorry Abby, for this morning," he began. "For telling the team, I mean."

Abby opened her eyes to look at him.

"But you know I was just worried about you." He added.

"I know Mcgee. Thank you." Abby said.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Mcgee asked, slightly relieved.

"Of course I'm not mad at you Timmy. I could never be, at least not for long." Abby smiled. "And besides, I guess I really did need help."

Mcgee smiled at her, and looked back at the road. The rest of the drive was quiet. When they arrived back at Mcgee's apartment, he helped Abby up out of his car. She was extremely stiff and sore at this point. Mcgee put his hand awkwardly around her waist, trying to help support her as they walked to his door.

"Uhhh," Abby groaned. "I just want to lay down."

"You can have my bed," Mcgee offered, as they walked into his apartment.

"Thanks," Abby said as she painfully started changing into her night clothes.

Mcgee glanced over and caught a glimpse of her bruised torso. Quickly feeling his eyes on her, Abby shot a look back. Mcgee averted his gaze.

"It's okay Mcgee," Abby said, "I know I look like hell."

"You don't Abby, you always look beautiful to me." Mcgee admitted, embarrassed.

Abby smiled as she lowered her body onto Mcgee's bed. Why couldn't she ever date guys who were as nice to her as Mcgee was? Well, she had dated him, but that ended quickly. Her Fault. He would never want her back, especially now that he knew how stupid she had been about Matthew.

"Can I get anything for you Abby?" Mcgee asked.

"Maybe just some water." She said. What she really wanted was for him to lay down with her.

Mcgee came back with a glass of water and placed it on the table next to his bed. He was still concerned about Abby. She was not her normal bubbly self. She still had a lot on her mind, understandably.

"Look, Abby," Mcgee ventured. "I know you don't really want to talk about this, but if you decide you do, I'm here." There was silence for a moment, and he turned to leave.

"Mcgee," Abby spoke up. "Will you lay down with me?" She asked timidly.

"Of course Abs, I'll be right back in, okay?" Mcgee said as he went into the bathroom to change into a t-shirt and shorts. He was glowing a little, at the prospect that Abby wanted him near her. Of course, he knew it was for comfort, that she was scared, but it made him happy that she wanted him there.

Mcgee laid down next to Abby, sensing her still present aura of distress. Shifting onto his side to face her, Mcgee took her hand in his.

"I keep thinking it's my fault, Mcgee," Abby started. "I mean, I know, logically, that it's not. But I can't get the thought out of my head. If only I had acted differently, or been home more, or paid more attention to him. He told me I deserved it, Mcgee! Every time. It was always my fault, and most of the time I believed him…" She trailed off.

"You know that isn't true Abby." Mcgee said seriously.

"I know. I mean, I know that now, I think. But why didn't I realize that before? Why didn't I end it earlier? I could have avoided all this. You guys wouldn't have had to get involved."

"It's not your fault Abby, it's not. You did the right thing by telling us now." He said.

Abby suddenly smiled, a thought popping into her head. "You know Mcgee, Matthew was mad because he thought there was something going on between us! He was jealous, I think!" Abby laughed a little, trying to make light of the situation.

Mcgee smiled too. He liked the thought of someone being jealous of him and Abby. "I miss you." He suddenly said, surprising himself with the words that had come out.

"I'm right here Mcgee, how can you possibly miss me," Abby teased.

"No, not now." Mcgee said. "I just miss hanging out with you like we used to."

"Me too," admitted Abby. "Maybe we can spend more time together again. I mean now that I don't have a crazy boyfriend."

Mcgee smiled. He liked that idea.

A few minutes of silence passed before Mcgee asked, "Want me to put on Harry Potter?"

Abby nodded her head and Mcgee got up to get the DVD and turn off the lights. He laid back down and Abby stretched her arm out to rest on his stomach. He took his hand and placed it over hers. Abby leaned over, gave him a peck on the cheek, and settled down to watch the movie. She was quickly overcome by exhaustion, and fell asleep holding Mcgee's hand, her head on his shoulder. He was practically in heaven.


	7. Chapter 7

Back at headquarters, Tony was furiously working away, finish long-overdue reports and waiting for any information that might pop up about Matthew's whereabouts. Ziva had reported no sign of him back at his house, nor had Gibbs. Suddenly, a flashing box appeared on Tony's computer screen. A hit had come back on Matthew's car. It was sighted on Water St. between 8th and 9th. Tony quickly pulled up a map… That location was… 3 blocks from where Mcgee lived! Flipping open his phone he quickly called Mcgee.

"What is it Tony," Mcgee whispered, not wanting to wake Abby.

"It's Matthew. I think he's headed to your place." Tony said. "Be on the lookout. I'll be over there as soon as I can and I'll notify Gibbs and Ziva."

"Okay." Mcgee got up and grabbed his gun, moving into the living room, ready for anything that might happen.

Tony hung up the phone and quickly called the others. Hopefully they would be able to get over to Mcgee's before anything happened. He had a bad feeling though.

Mcgee stood nervously by the door to his apartment. Suddenly, he heard glass breaking and it dawned on him that Matthew was trying to get in through his bedroom window. Running back through the house, Mcgee burst into his room only to see Matthew standing there, pinning a shaking Abby against the wall, and holding a gun to her head.

"Hurt her and you're dead, Matthew!" Mcgee yelled, trying to sound tougher than he actually was. Abby's eyes were pleading for help. He needed backup. Where was the rest of the team?

Suddenly, Gibbs burst through the door, followed shortly after by Tony and Ziva. Matthew was outnumbered. Four agents pointing guns to his head.

"Let her go Matthew." Gibbs said sternly.

"Why, just so you can catch me and put me in jail? I'd rather be dead than locked up!" He yelled menacingly. "She's gonna get what she deserves!" The team steadied their stance, zeroing in on Matthew with their weapons.

Abby watched in slow motion out of the corner of her eye as Matthew started to pull the trigger. She knew he was too close to her for the team to be able to take a clear shot. It was up to her. Barely thinking, Abby jerked her knee up hard, hitting him square in the groin. This produced just enough pain to cause him to jerk his hand downward as he was pulling the trigger, the barrel of the gun shifting from her head to her shoulder.

Abby felt the bullet rip through her shoulder, but ignored the pain. She needed to take advantage of Matthew's moment of vulnerability to push him away from her so the team could get a clear shot. She succeeded and Matthew was pierced with four bullets, dropping him the floor, lifeless.

Suddenly overcome with pain, Abby dropped to the floor as well.

"Abby!" Gibbs yelled running towards her. "DiNozzo call an ambulance!"

Grabbing an old t-shirt off the floor, Gibbs immediately applied pressure to Abby's shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding. Abby moaned from the pain caused by the increased weight pressing down on her.

"I know Abs, I know. I have to though." Gibbs said, worry in his voice. She was loosing a lot of blood quickly.

Mcgee just stared, clearly shaken. Noticing this, Ziva asked him to go outside and wait for the ambulance. He obliged.

Ziva crouched down and put two fingers to Abby's wrist, feeling her pulse. It was weak. She gave Gibbs a worried look. Gibbs looked away, still applying pressure to Abby's shoulder.

Through her pain, Abby noticed Gibb's distress. "I'm okay boss man," She whispered, smiling in an odd state of complacency.

Gibbs smiled back at her, hearing the ambulance pull up outside. He closed his eyes and prayed, something that was a rare act for him.

~*~*~*~

Tony, Ziva, Mcgee, and Gibbs were soon joined by Ducky and Palmer in the waiting room at Bethesda.

"Any word on her condition yet Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"Nope," Gibbs said, just as a young doctor walked out into the waiting room.

"Are you all here for Abigail Sciuto?" He asked, looking at the large herd of people.

"Yes," replied Ziva.

"Abigail lost a lot of blood as you may know," The doctor said, shifting his gaze across the group, unsure of who to address. "But we stabilized her and were able to take her in for surgery on her shoulder. All went well and she is in recovery right now. She should be waking up soon. You can visit with her two at a time."

"Thank you doctor," Ducky addressed the young man who hurried off, back to his work.

The team sat silently for a moment. Suddenly Tony stood up.

"Well, if no one else is jumping at the chance, I'm gonna go visit first!" Tony declared. "Coming with me Probie?"

Mcgee tentatively stood up.

"Stop being a pussy, let's go." Said Tony, walking off, Mcgee following behind him.

When they walked through the swinging doors, away from the rest of the group, Tony stopped and turned to Mcgee.

"It's okay. She's gonna be fine." Tony said seriously. As much as he loved picking on Mcgee, he could always tell when it was time to ease off.

Tony and Mcgee walked into the room, Tony taking a seat beside Abby's bed, Mcgee standing next to him, peering down at a sleeping Abby. She had multiple IVs going into her arms and was hooked up to a heart rate monitor. Her shoulder and arm were wrapped up heavily in gauze, and splinted to prevent movement.

"I wonder what she saw in that Matthew guy anyway, he was obviously crazy." Tony began speaking to ease the silent tension in the air. "You think it was his good looks? The sex?"

Mcgee gave Tony a disgusted glare.

"Maybe the sex is better with a psycho." Tony joked because it was the only thing he knew how to do when he was uncomfortable.

"I can hear you Tony," Abby said groggily, waking up.

"Hey Abs! Just talking about the weather here!" Tony piped up.

"The weather my ass." Abby smiled.

"How ya feeling Abs?" Tony asked, more seriously now. Mcgee still observing.

"Oh, I'm just peachy, thanks for asking!" Abby said sarcastically.

"I'm gonna go let the rest of the team know you're okay, they're all worried." Tony said, standing up to leave. He gave Mcgee a wink as he left the room.

Abby and Mcgee stared at each other for a minute, as Mcgee took Tony's place in the chair.

"He's dead?" Abby asked, seriously.

"He's dead." Mcgee answered.

"Is everyone else okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're all fine. And you know, you really saved yourself in there Abby."

Thinking for a minute, she answered, "No, I only started the job, I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you guys finishing it off."

The thought of Abby being dead caused Mcgee to grimace. He couldn't help but think of how close she had come…

"Help me sit up a little more?" Abby asked, tired of facing the ceiling.

Mcgee helped her sit up, setting some pillows behind her so she could lean on them. Abby winced as she felt her shoulder shift positions slightly. Mcgee put one hand on her back and one on her side, steadying her. She grabbed his hand and held it until the pain subsided. He looked at her, concern filling his face.

"Sit down Timmy, I'm okay," Abby reassured him, although still breathing a bit heavily.

"Do you want me to stay here with you tonight Abby?" Mcgee asked, and suddenly added, "I mean, only if you want me to… I mean, I don't have to if you don't want me to, of course…" He trailed off.

Abby smiled at Mcgee's awkwardness. "Only if you promise not to go all psycho-killer on me. Seems to happen to all the boys I fall in love with."

Mcgee relaxed at Abby's humor and then realized what she had just said- "fall in love?" Maybe it was the morphine talking, but Mcgee hoped she wasn't joking this time.


End file.
